Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes on your site. I have visited in the past and have happened upon it again. I noticed you put in the post that if anyone had questions that we could ask and so I have a big one that I need advice on if you don't mind. I have been living low carb for about 2 years now. My weight has fluctuated from 130 to about 118. I am 5'4" and female, 45 years old and mom to 5 children. My weight went up to 134 which is very uncomfortable to me because I have struggled with an eating disorder and so I really went low carb in an attempt to drop some weight. Well I have, but the problem is that I am restricting too many calories now. I have gotten down to 108 but know that 800 calories Is not enough. My question is about balance. I would not mind gaining some back but have a fear of gaining too much again. I don't want to go back there. I hiit train most days for about 25 mins. I use to do way too much. Do you have a plan that would balance my calories out so I can incorporate more Low carb options/keto and start eating normal again. I like your ideas and thought process behind all you post so I would appreciate any feed back you could give to me. Thank ML
Each of the above methods is good for its own reason; however, we would suggest only one: the blood test. The urine strips are cheap, yet not accurate. The breath analyzer is expensive, difficult to find and has definite quirks. The blood tests, while somewhat expensive, are fully reliable and testing your blood - the most accurate place to measure your ketones.
Protein: Keep in mind that keto is high-fat, and not high-protein, so you don’t need to eat very much meat. Too much protein turns into glucose in the body, making it harder to stay in ketosis. Stick to fatty cuts of grass-fed, pasture-raised, or wild meat, and wild-caught fish. Red meats, offal/organ meats, pork, eggs (preferably pastured), fish, shellfish, and whey protein concentrate.
This is one reason why tracking your food intake should be a priority. There are apps like Cronometer, MyFitnessPal, and LoseIt! that allow you to record all your foods for the day, and each has a large database of fresh foods, packaged foods, and restaurant meals, plus you can enter in your own recipes. This way you can know exactly what macro- and micro-nutrients you’re getting, with no guess work.
The transition is rougher for some people than others, though it’s worth it to KCKO, or Keep Calm and Keto On. Once you’re keto-adapted, weight loss becomes easier, your body feels like it moves more smoothly, your energy levels and appetite are easily regulated, and your thoughts are clear and fast. Performance in the gym also begins to improve at this stage, since it sometimes suffers during the adaptation period.
• Constipation: No one likes to feel backed up, and sadly if you're not careful about your diet choices when going keto, it could become a regular concern. One 10-year (albeit small) study looking at the effects of a keto diet on young children found that 65 percent experienced digestive woes. Thankfully, going keto is not a life sentence for problem bowels. Since you're cutting out whole grains and fruit (two of the most common sources of fiber), aim to up your fiber-rich veggies, and consider a supplement.

Note: Are you a vegetarian or vegan and want to go on a ketogenic diet? It’s still possible! Just keep in mind that the dietary restrictions can sometimes be a little bit intense. Make sure to plan ahead and prepare to aid your success. To help out, we’ve published articles (with 7 day meal plans included) for both the vegetarian ketogenic diet and the vegan ketogenic diet.

Don’t stick to chicken and steak just because you’re comfortable cooking them. Make dinner time the place where you can try new meats and recipes that increase your keto recipe resources. “At lunch and dinner, you can be creative and experiment,” Weaver says. “Just focus on cooking meat—pork, chicken, lamb, beef, or seafood. Meat is rich in iron and fish contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Use only organic oils, such as avocado oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.”

This short-term hack originated in clinical settings to help obese patients shed excess fat quickly. It was described in Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution for the same purpose. The diet consists of 1000 calories or less of almost entirely fat, with a little protein. This can be useful for people who have been on a ketogenic diet for at least three weeks, or who have had a weight plateau that has lasted at least three weeks. Since it’s so high in fat, you have to be keto-adapted for it to be effective, not just in ketosis.

Your body is still growing — In one study, epileptic children experienced a reduction in symptoms and improved cognitive performance when a ketogenic diet was introduced.49 However, this may have a negative effect on the growth of their bodies in the long run, according to a study published in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.50
The biggest shifts in your daily habits will be how you food shop and how you cook, and recipes that are ketogenic need to be followed rather than just low-carb. You will require the healthy fats in order to get into ketosis and have enough energy without the carbs. And you will be considerably more energetic and healthier when cooking your own keto-friendly food rather than buying supposedly keto foods off the shelf. So visit my page on keto recipes as well as keto snacks (including fat bombs!), and get started on a ketogenic meal plan!
• Restricted ketogenic diet — As mentioned earlier, a ketogenic diet can be an effective weapon against cancer. To do this, you need to be on a restricted ketogenic diet. By restricting your carbohydrate and calorie intake, your body loses glycogen and starts producing ketones that your healthy cells can use as energy. Because cancer cells cannot use these ketones, they starve to death.12
The current hypothesis is that the brain functions differently on ketones than on glucose, and this is what causes certain brains to reduce epileptic seizures. I would then also hypothesize that certain people who feel that “brain fog” lifted on ketosis is due to either placebo effect OR their brain actually functioning differently on ketones vs glucose.

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Medical Disclaimer: The material on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.